Everything We Know About Kaley Cuoco And Tom Pelphrey's Relationship
You probably know Kaley Cuoco best as Penny, the loveable everywoman in "The Big Bang Theory." Or, maybe you've seen her more recently in projects like "The Flight Attendant" or "Harley Quinn." The actor has certainly been busy with a stream of TV shows in the past few years — however, that's not all she's been busy with. In 2021, Cuoco split from her second husband Karl Cook. "It was one of the hardest years of my life," she later told Variety.
However, soon after the acrimonious divorce, things turned around for Cuoco. Less than a year later, Cuoco met and fell in love with fellow actor Tom Pelphrey — you may recognize him as Ben from "Ozark" or Don from "Love & Death." Things moved fast for the couple and by 2023 they had settled down together and had their first child. Let's learn more about this truly adorable Hollywood "It" couple, from their first meeting to starting a family.
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey met through their management in 2022
Kaley Cuoco met Tom Pelphrey at a tricky time — she had just been through her second divorce and it had been tough. "We have the same manager [Andrea Pett-Joseph], and we were set up by [her], which is so Hollywood," Cuoco revealed to USA Today. "She's like, 'Oh my God, I think you guys are perfect for each other.'"
Apparently, Pett-Joseph introduced the two actors at the premiere of "Ozark" in April 2022. When Cuoco met Pelphrey for the first time, she knew he was the one. "I was standing with Andrea and Tom walked in, and I heard his voice, and I turned around, and it was like my life was over, or just starting," she recalled. "It hit me. It was love at first sight. We were immediately connected. I do feel like I've known him my whole life, but I wasn't ready for him."
Even though Cuoco met Pelphrey after such a turbulent time, it sounds like he came into her life at the perfect moment. In fact, in another interview with Extra, Cuoco gushed that she had "met Tom at the right moment. ... That's why I think I am against time travel, because I wouldn't want to ruin that timeline... It's all supposed to happen the way it's supposed to happen." Whether their meeting really was fate or not, it was clearly very special.
Kaley Cuoco is not interested in wedding number three with Tom Pelphrey
Even though Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey fell in love the moment they met, the chances of Cuoco tying the knot for a third time appear to be pretty slim. In fact, after two unsuccessful marriages, Cuoco seems to have given up on the idea of marriage altogether.
In a 2022 interview with Glamour, Cuoco was adamant. "I will never get married again. I would love to have a long-lasting relationship or a partnership. But I will never get married again. Absolutely not," she said firmly. "You can literally put that on the cover."
While Cuoco definitely didn't want to walk down the aisle for a third time, she said that she hadn't given up on finding the one. "I do believe there is someone out there. I love love. I'm not someone that wants to be by myself," she said. The interview was published just seven days before Cuoco would meet Pelphrey at the "Ozark" premiere.
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey went Instagram official in 2022
One month after their first meeting in April 2022, Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey took things to the next level by going Instagram official in May 2022. First, Pelphrey posted a photo on Instagram on May 3 showing a couple of Polaroids of the pair. In the caption, he included a quote from "Noah's Wall." "But nothing can save you," the quote starts, and concludes with: "Then you catch a breeze, so warm and ripe, it makes you hope that someone will come who also cannot save you, but who will think you are worth saving." Sounds like Cuoco thought Pelphrey was "worth saving." How romantic! Pelphrey posted again on May 15 of a photo carousel featuring Cuoco with a variety of animals. The final picture showed the pair kissing which Cuoco commented "My Tom."
Despite being quiet on Instagram with very few posts on her timeline, Cuoco eventually posted about her beau on July 27 wishing Pelphrey a happy birthday. "To the incredible man that saved me in all the ways..happy birthday, baby! To know you, is to truly adore you ... the world lit up the day you were born," she wrote on Instagram.
Kaley Cuoco's bestie approves of Tom Pelphrey
It's always hard to date someone who your friends just don't seem to like. Luckily for Kaley Cuoco, her best friend and "Flight Attendant" co-star, Zosia Mamet, is a big fan of Tom Pelphrey.
Cuoco and Mamet had actually been living together after Cuoco's divorce from Karl Cook. "She stayed with me for months," Cuoco told USA Today. "It was so helpful, just to have a friend here with me because there were a lot of rough nights ... She really saved me, and we became so close."
And when Mamet met Pelphrey, she gave her seal of approval. "When I met him, I was one of the last to meet him," she told Entertainment Tonight. "I met him and I was like, 'I feel like I've known you forever.' And he loves her like nobody's business, and that's all that matters to me." How adorable is that!
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey are both animal lovers
From the very beginning, Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey's relationship has been strengthened by their mutual love of animals. After all, one of Pelphrey's first Instagram posts about the relationship featured Cuoco with a dog, a goat, a cow, and a horse. Cuoco is also famous for her love of animals, owning over 20 horses, many dogs, a rabbit, and a goat!
It seems that Cuoco has found a kindred spirit in Pelphrey. In 2023, the pair even adopted their own rescue dog together. Cuoco revealed the news in an Instagram story (via Page Six). Alongside a picture of Cuoco with the small dog, she wrote: "We did a thing ... again. We welcome Miss Opal (little widdle girl) into our growing family." By the looks of things, Pelphrey loves animals almost as much as Cuoco does — or, at least, he's willing to put up with her growing menagerie!
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey were both nominated for Emmys at the same time
Talk about being an acting power couple. This Hollywood duo made a memorable red carpet debut in September 2022 when they both attended the Emmy Awards — not only were both actors in Emmy-nominated shows that year, they were both up for their own awards. Cuoco was nominated for "The Flight Attendant," while Pelphrey had picked up a nomination for his guest appearance on "Ozark." When the couple found out that they were both nominated, Cuoco broke down in tears as her partner cheered her on and gave her a hug (via Hello!).
At the event itself, the pair looked stunning on the red carpet. Plus, fans also got the chance to see them interacting in their seats during the show. When it came time for Cuoco's award category, Pelphrey allegedly got more than a little emotional, too. Could these two be any cuter?
Their relationship taught Kaley Cuoco to think less about herself
After meeting Tom Pelphrey, Kaley Cuoco began to look at life a little differently. Before, she had always made her career her number one focus. In fact, she was a bit of a workaholic. "I just love to work," she confessed to USA Today. "On a vacation, I'm on my phone the whole time."
However, after she began dating Pelphrey, that changed. "[Work is] now not the most important thing," she said. Although Cuoco did spend three months in Berlin filming the movie "Role Play," when she came home, she decided to focus on her partner rather than her career. Prior to leaving, she said: "I want to come home after that and take the rest of the year off and support Tom and what he's shooting and actually be there for someone else, not just myself," she said. It sounds like this relationship made Cuoco far more selfless — and it's great to see!
Kaley Cuoco wasn't sure she wanted kids until she met Tom Pelphrey
Kaley Cuoco never really wanted children — however, when she and Tom Pelphrey got together, she was shocked to discover that her feelings were changing. "This was not a goal of mine," Cuoco said in an Emmys interview. "As a young girl I dreamed of it, but I became involved in my career. Then when we met, it was instantaneous — 'Oh my God, I want to have a kid with you.'"
And Pelphrey felt exactly the same way. She explained: "We both wanted it so badly, which was not what I thought my life would be. I love my career and wanted to just keep living my life. But Tom came along, and something changed."
Once the couple decided they wanted a child, they knew they should start trying right away — luckily, it didn't take long. Cuoco announced that she was pregnant in October 2022, just six months after first meeting Pelphrey. "Baby girl Pelphrey coming 2023," she wrote on Instagram.
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey had their first child, Matilda, in 2023
On March 30, 2023, Kaley Cuoco gave birth to her first child with Tom Pelphrey. "Introducing, Matilda Carmine Richie Pelphrey, the new light of our lives!" Cuoco wrote on Instagram alongside a few images of the adorable baby. "We are overjoyed and grateful for this little miracle ... [Tom Pelphrey], didn't think I could fall even more in love with you, but I did."
Pelphrey also posted a touching image of his family after his daughter's birth, writing a Rumi quote in his caption: "You are the Soul of the Universe. And your name is Love" (via Instagram).
While the couple was clearly over the moon about the arrival of their daughter, adjusting to life as parents wasn't entirely easy. "It's amazing. It's heaven, it's challenging at times," Pelphrey told People. "It's the most beautiful thing ever." As Pelphrey went on to explain, he was surprised to find that being a father came to him intuitively. "There's just something about how to hold her and how to burp her and intuiting what she wants sometimes when she's upset," he said. It sounds like these two have really embraced parenthood to the fullest.
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey thought of the name Matilda together
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey chose the name "Matilda" for their first child — but why? Well, apparently, the couple was careful to settle on the name together.
"Kaley and I, we chose the name together, we loved 'Matilda' long before she joined us," Pelphrey told Access Hollywood. "And then I played for Kaley the Tom Waits' song 'Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets to The Wind in Copenhagen).' And in that song, his chorus is a version of 'Waltzing Matilda.' So I've loved that song since I was 17, 16 years old. Played it for Kaley, she started crying." If that isn't a sign that the name is meant to be, then we don't know what is.
But wait — it gets even sweeter. As Pelphrey went on to explain, the song happened to play from his playlist right before Cuoco went into labor. As he recalled: "The day we ended up going to the hospital, I was driving home from work and as I was pulling up to the house, that song came on the playlist." Sounds like the name 'Matilda' was a stroke of destiny.
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey have matching tattoos
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey may not have tied the knot, but they have made their relationship pretty permanent with some new ink. A month after the pair welcomed their daughter Matilda into the world, the pair decided to get matching tattoos. The tattoo features a unique design that combines the first letters of their names and the name of their daughter. The "K," "M," and "T" come together to make a pretty cool symbol. Pelphrey got the tattoo on his upper arm, while Cuoco got a smaller version on her wrist.
Pelphrey showed off the matching ink in an Instagram story, writing: "Amazing work — great guy — thanks Iggy!!" (via Hello!).
And it looks like the "KMT" tattoo isn't the only tattoo that Pelphrey has in honor of his relationship with Cuoco. In an Instagram photo of his daughter, Pelphrey shows off a tattoo on his ring finger that reads "Kaley" with an arrow design.
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey definitely want more kids
While children weren't on Kaley Cuoco's radar before she met Tom Pelphrey, now, she seems to be fully on board with the idea. Not only has she already had her first child, but she also wants more. And by the sounds of things, Pelphrey is keen on the idea, too.
As Cuoco explained on the "Smartless" podcast, just five weeks after the birth of Matilda, she began to feel the urge to have another child almost immediately after having her daughter. After she was asked if she wanted more, she replied: "Yeah, we do."
Later, Cuoco went into more detail about her and Pelphrey's plans for future children. During a June 2023 interview with Us Weekly, a source said that the couple would definitely be expanding their family soon. "They will definitely have another down the line; it's just a case of when," the source said. "For now, Kaley's savoring her time with Matilda and counting her blessings to be raising this beautiful baby." We absolutely cannot wait to watch as this adorable family continues to grow.
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey would love to work together
Fans of Kaley Cuoco may be wondering: Will she and her new partner ever act together? After all, they're both accomplished television actors. Well, it seems that the pair are dying to find a project that works for both of them. When asked if she wanted to work with Pelphrey, Cuoco told E! News: "We really do want to. It'll have to be something very special, but we would love to do that."
For now, the pair might be a little too busy to find time to star in a project together. After all, as of 2023, Cuoco is busy with several upcoming projects, while Pelphrey is working on two new TV shows. But who knows — maybe in the years to come we'll see these two finally share the screen. We certainly can't wait to see more of them!
The couple celebrated one year together in April 2023
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey have already been through a lot together. They attended the Emmys together, got matching tattoos, adopted a dog, and even had their first child. If you didn't know them, you might guess that they had been together for a decade. But no — this couple has only been together for one year.
In April 2023, Cuoco posted an adorable tribute to Pelphrey on Instagram in honor of their one-year anniversary. "How it started [to] how it's going!" she wrote alongside two pictures of them — one of an earlier hangout and one of their newborn daughter. "Cheers to a year with you [Tom Pelphrey] eternally grateful for you and what we have I love you, bub!"
Pelphrey also posted a message of his own. Alongside selfies of the couple, he wrote: "Happy One Year bud... best year ever. Love you more each day" (via Instagram). These two really could not be any cuter — and with so many milestones already under their belts, we can't wait to see where this relationship takes them next.